The moment that thing stepped closer,the entire world shook so violently that the ruins around us began collapsing piece by piece.
Massive stones crashed against the ground while deep cracks spread beneath our feet like wounds tearing through reality itself.The black mist pouring from the Door swallowed everything in its path now,pillars,stairs,even light itself disappearing slowly into the unnatural darkness.
And still…
That thing kept walking.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Like time itself no longer mattered to it.
Faye tightened her grip around my arm while her breathing became more and more unstable.Her eyes remained locked on the silhouette behind the Door,and for the first time since I met her…
I saw genuine terror inside them.
"Kael…" her voice trembled softly."We need to leave."
But I couldn't move.
Because the synchronization inside me had completely changed.
Before,this power always felt violent.
Heavy.
Like carrying a war inside my soul.
But now…
Now it felt awake.
Every silver fracture beneath my skin burned hotter with every step that entity took toward the opening.The light spread slowly across my neck and chest like glowing veins beneath flesh while unbearable pressure crushed against my ribs.
Not attacking me.
Calling me.
And honestly…
That realization terrified me more than the entity itself.
The Door groaned again behind us.
Another chain snapped violently.
The sound echoed across the broken horizon like the world screaming in pain.
The opening widened further.
And for the first time—
I could finally see more than just its eyes.
A hand slowly emerged from the darkness.
My heartbeat stopped instantly.
Its fingers looked almost human.
Almost.
But the skin covering them wasn't skin.
It looked like darkness compressed into physical form,endless black cracks moving slowly beneath the surface like shattered reality trapped inside flesh.
And everywhere that hand touched—
Existence disappeared.
Not destroyed.
Erased.
The broken stones beneath its fingertips simply vanished soundlessly,leaving behind empty space where reality itself no longer existed.
Faye gasped beside me and instinctively stepped backward.
"Oh my God…"
Even the synchronization inside me recoiled violently.
DO NOT LET IT ENTER REALITY.
The voice inside my mind sounded different this time.
Desperate.
Almost afraid.
And suddenly—
Another memory slammed into my consciousness.
This time,the vision didn't show the First Keeper.
It showed all of them.
Hundreds.
Maybe thousands.
Ancient keepers standing beneath black skies while silver light burned through their bodies.They surrounded the colossal Final Gate together,blood running down their faces while enormous chains wrapped around the structure endlessly.
Some were crying.
Some were praying.
Some looked completely broken.
But every single one of them was sacrificing themselves for the same purpose.
To keep the Gate closed.
Then suddenly—
I saw the First Keeper again.
He stood at the center of the ritual,his silver fractures glowing brighter than all the others combined.His expression looked empty now.
Defeated.
Like he already understood the future could no longer be changed.
One of the keepers beside him spoke weakly.
"If the seal fails,existence ends."
Another whispered through tears.
"Then we continue sealing it forever."
The First Keeper slowly closed his eyes.
"No…" he whispered painfully."Not forever."
The other keepers looked toward him in confusion.
And then—
He said the words that made my blood turn cold.
"One day…the Gate will open again."
Silence filled the vision instantly.
The First Keeper looked toward the colossal darkness beyond the Gate while tears mixed with the blood running down his face.
"And when that day comes…"
His voice broke completely.
"The final successor will appear."
The synchronization inside my body exploded violently.
Because suddenly…
I understood why the entity knew my name.
Why the Door reacted to me.
Why synchronization chose me.
I wasn't an accident.
I was the end of something ancient.
The final successor.
The vision shattered instantly.
I returned to reality choking on air while the ruins trembled violently around us.
Faye grabbed my face immediately.
"Kael! Talk to me!"
I looked at her,but honestly…
I barely saw her anymore.
Because the truth had completely shattered what remained of my reality.
Everything had already been decided long before I was born.
The prison.
The synchronization.
The abyss.
Even me.
It was all leading to this moment.
Behind us,the entity moved closer to the opening again.
And then softly…
Almost affectionately…
It spoke.
"You finally understand now."